Tetracycline acne is an antibiotic approach that is not used to cure acne, but to suppress the acne symptoms and it is quite successful. It is believed to do this by curbing the growth of bacteria and reducing inflammation. Due to its nature of suppressing rather than curing, the treatment is usually long term and it is used in low doses, especially for those with mild acne but the dosage can be increased for those with more severe acne.
It is recommended that it be taken on an empty stomach, which is about an hour before to 2 hours after meals. Milk or antacids should not be taken together with tetracycline acne, but rather drink a lot of water to prevent it from becoming lodged in the esophagus. If you have a problem with swallowing pills you should inform the physician so as to get an alternative form of treatment.
Pregnant women and breast feeding mothers are however cautioned not to take tetracycline because they have the ability to permanently stain teeth, inhibit bone growth and lead to skeletal defects in a growing fetus. They are also not advisable for children under the age of twelve years for the same reasons.
However, tetracycline acne has a few side effects of which include high skin sensitivity. It is advisable to take it in the evening or to wear sunscreen to avoid damaging the skin. It may also cause skin rash or liver disease due to allergy, although this is rare. Other side effects are headaches, hemolytic anemia and renal toxicity.
Even with the promising results, tetracycline acne treatment has a downside because it reduces the helpful bacteria which are found in the bowel that are needed for synthesizing the B vitamins. This makes most women prone to thrush when using it, but there are other medications that are used to deal with this effect.